Aug. 25, 2008 - Update on AnnaBell

Aug. 23, 2008 - The Lord is FULL of blessings!

Aug. 12, 2008 - From "Schedules" to "To Do List"

Aug. 11, 2008 - The new look...

Aug. 7, 2008 - A supernatural, eternal moment of connection between parents and children

There is a Jewish custom in which parents bless their children on Shabbat. It is a beautiful custom to bless your children every Friday night. It's a moment filled with love and meaning, especially when you understand the source behind such a tradition. 

I want to speak of the Hebraic notion of speaking God's blessing upon your family whether it be spouse, children, grandchildren, or anyone else you choose to bless. The paternal blessing was the most valuable heritage that parents can give to their children.

This is a wonderful tradition because it speaks life into your family. The blessing is sure to make the child feel special and loved, boost their self-esteem, and give them fond memories of a special time together.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it, for death or life." Proverbs 18:21

Speaking blessings is not a supernatural recipe you must follow to gain God's approval. It is quite simply "the speaking of God's Word" over those you love. God, Himself, blessed Adam and Eve in the garden.

“God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."” Genesis 1:28 (NASB)

God blessed Abraham and countless others, and God is still in the “blessing business” today!!

Not sure how to do it?

There are many variations on how the blessing is given. In some homes, the father will lay their hand upon the forehead of the child; in others, the blessing is followed by aa kiss, while in some homes the mother and father gives the blessing together while in others the mother gives a separate blessing from the father. In my home as a single-parent, I am the one who gives the blessings.

Not sure exactly what to say?

»For sons say, “May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe”

Jacob blessed his two grandsons before he died. He blessed them to become role models for the God’s people in the future.

On that day Jacob blessed them, he said, "In time to come, the people of Israel will use you as a blessing. They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe'." (Genesis 48:20)

Ephraim and Menashe did become role models worthy of ambition. Unlike those before them, including Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph and his brothers, Ephraim and Menashe were not rivals. Instead, Ephraim and Menashe were brothers joined by their drive to perform good deeds.

»For daughters say, “May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.”

Each of these Hebrew mothers has qualities that make them eligible to be role models. These matriarchs were strong and admirable women. They endured hardships in marriage, abduction, difficult home lives, infertility, difficult children, and envy from other woman. Through their passion and loyalty to God, these women partnered with the patriarchs and succeeded in building a nation.

Again, this wonderful custom of blessing the children is part of the Jewish tradition. What I do in my family is to bless my children daily. At first, I had done just to see if it really worked. I laid my hand on my daughters forehead and prayed. I seen a noticeable difference in her behavior within two days...

Then, I started feeling guilty because of my eldest daughter, who is 21, will not be blessed since she isn't living at home. So, I called my daughter up on her cell phone and told her of the research I had done, and asked her if she wanted me to bless her. She said, " yes." She put the cell on speaker phone and put it on her forehead and I blessed her.

The following morning, she called and ask exactly what was it I prayed. I explained to her that God would  bless her by showing her purpose and destiny in her life. She proceeded to tell me of a dream that she had about her being in the mission field and how the desire is heavy within her heart to go.

Aug. 5, 2008 - Will My Pet Go to Heaven?

This is a question that many, if not all, pet owners have asked, either quietly to themselves or aloud. For any pet owner, any discussion of pet loss comes around to this question. An ABC News poll showed that 35% of pet owners do not believe that pets go to heaven, while 47% said “yes”.

Christians tend to find this question difficult in answering. We want to base our answers to any spiritual question on the authority of God Word. As a result, most discussions of this question turn into a scripture-slinging debates, tackling the issue of whether animals have “souls”, can they be “redeemed”, and so on.

Scripture doesn’t give a definite answer to the question, “Do pets go to Heaven?” I believe there is a reason the Bible is silent on this issue; it is not God’s perverse decision to leave thousands of pet owners in the dark. But perhaps the reason the Bible is silent on this subject is because the Holy Bible is about human redemption; it’s a book about the choices humans must make.

Silence on the subject doesn’t mean a negative answer either. The Bible is silent on many matters, leaving us with vast amount of questions that we must investigate and decide using the hearts and minds that God gave us… in quest for an answer that’s embedded in reason, love, and our personal experiences with God, not in theology and doctrine.

I hope to offer you a structure within you can choose your own answer, based on your ability to reason and your understanding of God’s love.

The Christian perception of heaven is linked with the concepts of salvation, redemption, and resurrection. Christians don’t believe that “going to heaven” occurs automatically, that it’s the result of conscious faith decision made during one’s life. While the Bible is very precise about the prerequisite for human salvation, it says nothing about salvation for animals. This has led some folks to assume that, since animals can’t be “saved”, they can’t possibly go to heaven.

Another way to view the question is to remember why the Bible states that redemption is “necessary” for humans. In scriptural terms, humans are “fallen” beings (sinners). Humans have free will, and therefore the ability to choose between good and evil. Humans can choose salvation and heaven, or choose to reject both. Animals on the other hand have never “fallen.” If one has not fallen, it’s not clear that the step of redemption is necessary.

Animals can’t choose between good and evil; when animals behave badly in our homes, it is generally because of a controversy between their God-given natures and our human requirements. Animals have no need to be saved because they aren’t considered “sinners.”

Now this doesn’t mean that we can automatically assume that because animals have no “sin” they’re automatically received in to heaven. What it does mean is that the whole issue of “redemption” doesn’t apply. The question of “redemption” is not the foundation for letting animals into heaven- or keeping them out.

Another familiar argument against the concept that pets go to heaven is that “animals don’t have souls.” Again, the Bible isn’t exactly clear on this, so the question is not answerable on a strictly scriptural basis.

For a moment, let’s consider heaven. What do you believe heaven is like? Many people would describe it as a place of paradise, with a glorious garden, filled with beautiful trees and radiant flowers, with sparking waters and soft breezes. I personally don’t know anyone who thinks heaven is a gigantic parking lot with no life. We base our image of heaven on the beautiful creation we live in now on earth. Just as I can’t imagine a heaven without plants, neither can I imagine one without animals. Whether or not animals have souls, I believe there are animals in heaven. After all, God created all the creatures of the earth on the fifth and sixth days of creation, before the creation of humanity.

Just as God created humans with a purpose, I believe He created animals with a purpose. I believe that purpose for animals is to teach us about God’s love and faithfulness. I know one thing I can count on when I come home is being greeted excited by my dog Anna Bell with her licks of love.

We also learn mercy, compassion, patience, and understanding from our pets. We also learn what it means to receive unconditional love. If we are taught about love from our pets, must we assume that once we have learned the lesson, we’re forced to lose that love forever?

Are we to assume that God, the author of love, has so little compassion for us that He gives us pets to love and pets to love us only later to day, “Sorry, I know you love that little dog (cat, etc.) that I sent your way, but rules are rules, you won’t see them again”? I really don’t think so. God is a God of love and he wouldn’t give us love one day, only to take it away forever the next.

Our pets live in the now, not in the next week; they deal with what is, not what might be, or could be, or should be. Pets don't ask, "What comes next?" This is a human question, based on human grief. I firmly believe that God takes care of all His creation including the animals.

Would heaven be a wonderful place -- would it truly be "paradise" -- if our pets weren't there? For many, the answer is "no" -- and obviously, God knows this! Putting restrictions on what can or can't be in heaven is a fruitless exercise, much like arguing how a camel can go through the eye of a needle; no one has brought back a report of what's in heaven, and sooner or later we're all going to find out anyway. In the mean time, on the issue of whether pets go to heaven or not, we are free to believe what we choose, based on our understanding of God and God’s love.

If we choose to believe that animals do go to heaven, and we find out otherwise then there is no penalty. Such a belief is not the basis of going to hell; it’s not a salvation issue. Nor are we at risk of leading someone else “astray” if we allow them to hold onto such a belief.

The last thing I want to do is to lead my children astray. When we had a death of my daughter’s guinea pig, I was faced with this same question. I went to the Lord for an answer, a way that I console my daughter.

The Lord spoke to me in Bible Study that day. He led me to Acts 10, where Peter saw a vision while in a trance. This vision was of a sheet that was held by four corners that descended from heaven. When the sheet opened it was all kinds of animals… That was my answer.

I gave her both sides of the issue, those who don’t believe and those who do believe. I told her what the Lord showed me that day, and we then read the following verses and told her what I believed. (This was a "teachable" moment... for both of us).

My daughter received great comfort that day from her Father in Heaven.

“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.” ~ Psalm 36:6 (KJV)

"the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Romans 8:19-21 (KJV)

Jul. 30, 2008 - “My Never Again List"

Let this list speak mountains to your heart as you read, and read, and read this list. Wash yourself in the Water of the Word by reading out loud these Scriptures three times. Now, believe it! Lock God’s Word into your heart!

May. 20, 2008 - Single Parents

The bible records several occasions where single parent families were ministered to by one or more of God’s people. Unlike modern American society where divorce and childbirth outside of marriage account for the majority of single parent homes, ancient Judean single parent homes arose primarily from the death of a spouse. The importance of these passages are not upon how they became single parents, but rather that God looked with compassion upon these single parents and their children, and met their needs.

Also as you read through these passages take note of the miracle that God performed in each one of these families.

“And the word of the Lord came unto him saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath… and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”

   “And she said… behold I am gathering two sticks that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.

   And Elijah said unto her, Fear not. Go and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me and after make for thee and thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.” ~ 1 Kings 17:10, 12-14

At this point of Scripture in History, God’s judgment had fallen upon Israel. He sent a drought and famine to the land. Yet as you see in Scripture, God always cares for his servants. He could’ve sent Elijah to one of the wealthy homes in Israel but chose a single parent home in some obscure village. He met physical needs, he resurrected life, he restored faith and hope in God.   

“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha saying, Thy servant my husband is dead… and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 

  And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil.

  Then he said, Go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, empty vessels; borrow not a few… and it came to pass when the vessels were full [of oil] that she said unto her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

  Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go and sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” ~ 2 Kings 4:1-7

Did you realize that over 55% of the single parent homes have an annual income below the poverty line? Single parent families are no strangers to debt. How many of these families have echoed the cry of the prophet’s widow: “The creditor is come!” The creditor in this Bible passage was ready to enslave the woman’s sons. You’ll notice in this passage that Elisha didn’t reach into his pocket and pull out the cash to pay off the woman’s debt—he did something even better!

As a family and a church what are doing to help single-parents in your community? It is time to evaluate where our efforts (finances and energy) are being used for.

Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."

And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!"

 The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" ~ Luke 7:12-16 (NASB)

According to the Single Parent statistics, single parents comprise about 26% of the households in this country. Today’s single parents are well-known with grief rather it could be through divorce, death, separation, or any number of other factors. All too often single parents grieve outside the church. Many feel out of place in the church and don’t attend.

Single parents feel more comfortable in an environment where being a single parent is accepted and understood than in a context where they perceive that they are judged, a fifth wheel, second class members, and unsupported. If this insight of churches is most often wrong then it is up to the church to take the initiative and prove it.

“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts; which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater ****ation.” ~ Mark 12:38-39

As you see in the words above, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders who hold them or their needs in contempt. Exploiting them or refusing to minister to them is on the same level as being spiritually pompous. Those are some tough Words from our Master!

Human need and suffering, from whatever sickness, sin, or situation, touches the heart of God. In this text single parents find a wonderful comfort! God loves them dearly and looks to the Church to be like Jesus toward them.

As a single parent, I have personally felt this in many of churches. For a few years I searched for a church that would offer support to the single parent families in the community, namely mine. At times, it was financial support to prevent my lights being shut off in the middle of winter or even food on the table as I had been between jobs a couple of times. But, more importantly, to me, I was searching for moral support that I searched for and found none.

I pay through this article, it will spark something within to ask the Lord, "What can I do for the single-parent families in my community?"

May. 8, 2008 - Difference between healing & miracle

"Healing is like a seed. The bible declares in Mark 4:3,4 behold a sower went out to sow. “And it happened, as he sowed that some seed fell by the wayside; the birds of the air came and devoured it. Jesus goes on to explain that the seed is the word of the kingdom and the birds “satan” come to steal away what was sown in man's heart."

Prov 4:20-22 declares: "My son give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings {word}. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."

Water the seed of healing and you will receive your harvest!! Watering the seed is by reading the Word. Be sure to read your Word out loud, especially healing Scriptures, and stand firm knowing that God's will NOT return void!!

Psalm 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

Jeremiah 33:6 "Behold, I will bring you health and cure, and I will cure you, and will reveal unto you the abundance of peace and truth."

Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Surely this includes healing!

Isaiah 58:8 "Thy light shall break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee: the glory of the Lord shall be thy rear guard."

3 John 2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."

Apr. 27, 2008 - Ten Future Missionaries

Heard Godʼs call divine

One married a worldly girl

And that left only nine

Nine anxious missionaries

They could hardly wait

Mother thought she needed one

And that left only eight

Eight perspective missionaries

To point the souls to heaven

One was busy making money

And that left only seven

Seven devoted missionaries

Their hearts on Jesus fixed

One wanted the American dream

And that left only six

Six sacrificial missionaries

Ready to give their lives

One thought himself unworthy

And that left only five

Five prayerful missionaries

Asking God for more

One decided to stay by the stuff

And that left only four

Four aspiring missionaries

Waiting to cross the sea

One became a farmer

And that left only three

Three choice missionaries

For the great task so few

One thought he was too old

And that left only two

Two steadfast missionaries

Ready the race to run

One thought to wait till his children were grown

And that left only one

One determined missionary

Thank the Lord for him

His goals are set his purpose firm

He didnʼt let the vision dim

Heʼs doing his part and the Lord is well pleased

But what of the nine

Who are living in ease,

Are you one of these?

Thank you to: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/diamondsintherough/513373/

For opening our eyes.... for making us ponder....

"But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." Luke 2:19 NASB

Apr. 26, 2008 - Thoughts to ponder...

Open HANDS receive GIFTS, open MINDS receive WISDOM and only open HEARTS receive LOVE.

A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

Give God what's right, not what's left!

Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler. 

Apr. 26, 2008 - Nuggets to Chew On

Nuggets to Chew On

Sometimes, life can be confusing. It can be hard to know which road to take… but Praise the Lord, God offers us His wise leading and counsel, so we know which way to go.

“The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.” ~ Psalm 37:23

Have you ever felt that you couldn’t go any further? In times like this, God is asking you to keep walking. He knows when to rescue you.

“He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” ~ Psalm 40:2

Salvation is easy, but it isn’t free. When God makes a claim on you, He asks you to take him seriously.

“If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” ~ Luke 14:26

This month we commemorate the death of the only truly innocent victim in all of history. God’s beautiful Son was put on a cross for us.

Apr. 22, 2008 - One Answer.... tag your it!!

3. Your hair?  Shoulder-length
4. Your mother?  Indiana

5. Your father?  Heaven

6. Your favorite thing?   Worship
7. Your dream last night?  None

8. Your favorite drink?  DC
9. Your dream/goal?   Heaven

10. The room you're in?   Office

11. Your fear?  ??
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?  Serving

13. Where were you last night?  Home

14. What you're not?   late
15. Muffins?  Banana
16. One of your wish list items?   Parralell Bible

17. Where you grew up?   Indiana

18. The last thing you did?  Type
19. What are you wearing?  Black
20. Your TV?  Off
21. Your Pets?  dog
22. Your computer?   IBM
23. Your life?  Blessed
24. Your mood?  Relaxed

25. Missing someone?  Daughter

26. Your car?  Mountaineer
27. Something you're not wearing?  Shoes
28. Favorite Store?  Target 

29. Your summer?  Hot
30. Your favorite color?  Maroon
31. When is the last time you laughed?  Today

32. When is the last time you cried?  Yesterday
33. Who will/would repost this?  You

Apr. 21, 2008 - Children's Church Decorated

All is well!

It has been a long time since I wrote. I have been very busy. The free time I have had, has been spent enjoying life in Tennessee, and what the Lord has done!

When the Pastor told me to decide what I wanted them to paint the walls. I went to the Lord, and I felt this is what He gave me:

We painted both of the children's rooms at Church. We painted the Toddler room Veggie Tales theme. We went with bottom half of wall green and the top half light blue like the sky. It turned out totally awesome.

Now for the Children' church room... I went with a neon green and a bright neon yellow!! Yes!! That is correct! The room is shaped like a rectangle, so I painted each small wall a different color. Then from the small side walls continued the color until it met in the middle of the longer wall where a whirlwind submrged out of it! It was totally a God thing!

Then, along the top of the wall, I wrote in quick sayings like "WWJD", "God's Watching You", "Every Knee Shall Bow", Jesus is the Lord", "Don't Be God's Weakest Link", etc... just quick sayings that will plant a seed in the mind of the children when they walk in.

Oh get this, on one longer wall, from the whirlwind, came out 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Then, around this Scripture I have about 40 other Scripture addresses of different verses in the Bible that was given to me over a period of a couple of weeks.

I am waiting for a new floor to be put down. But, praise God the room turned out awesome!!

God is good!!

I will post pictures soon of how it turned out. My description doesn't give it justice, LOL.

Mar. 6, 2008 - My Prayer just for YOU!!

Mar. 1, 2008 - God's Table Requires Table Manners

Feb. 29, 2008 - What is your birthverse?

Feb. 26, 2008 - Not Without the Children

I read an article today that actually ignited a flame within me. It makes so much sense to me. It was like a light bulb was turned on a.k.a. a candle was lit with a burning flame!

Many churches do not teach children how to operate in these spiritual activities because they don't believe children can understand what's happening or appreciate the significance of these events. They believe that the only spiritual teaching children are capable of handling are basic Bible stories and good moral lessons.

I can not paraphrase the article, “Now Without the Children” written by Beryl Voorhoeve that was published in the Chrisma Magazine.

“Recently I was reading in Exodus about how God led the Isrealites out of slavery in Egypt. While reading about the ten plagues, God pinpointed very clearly that it was His plan to take the children along with the adults into freedom and renewal. Moses went to Pharaoh and asked permission to take the Israelites into the desert to worship God. It was only after the 7th plague that Pharaoh seemed to realize that Moses was really serious!

“Who do you want to take with you?” he asked. When Moses answered him that he was going to take all the adults and the children Pharaoh got agitated. His answer was clear: I would rather send you off with God’s blessing than give you permission to take the children. In the natural Pharaoh realized that, if he kept the children in Egypt, the adults would come back. God showed me there is a spiritual principle here. Pharaoh knew that if he kept the children in his power while the parents went off to do their thing—to renew their faith and worship God—he would be able to influence the lives of the children forever. He could deceive them into a way of life in the world without God or he could deceive them to stay in the bondage of religion.

Moses wouldn’t waver: without the children he wasn’t planning to leave. During the years in which the Israelites had been living in slavery they hadn’t offered any sacrifices. Now a new time was coming; time of freedom in which they could worship God in a way that would please Him and children were to be part of it. What about us? Our longing to be free of the yolk of the enemy can be sincere. Offering our worship to God as a sweet smelling sacrifice – can be our deepest longing. But are we looking to go into the freedom of the wilderness without the children? Jesus said that we mustn’t hinder or prohibit the children to come to Him.

The word hinder can mean that we literarily stop them but we can also hinder them by denying them the opportunity to join us as we enter into Gods freedom and worship. Leaving them behind in bondage of slavery….

This wasn’t an option for Moses. Without the children there was no way he was going to move on.

Later on in the Bible we can read about a similar sort of situation. Samuel is told by God to go to the Bethlehemite Jesse, a grandson of Boaz and Ruth, to anoint one of his sons as the new king (1 Samuel 16). Samuel didn’t tell Jesse straight away why God had sent him there but instead he said: I’ve come here to bring a sacrifice and to lead you in worship. Get yourself and your sons ready. He sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

One by one the sons came in – but God showed Samuel that none of them were the chosen one. Eventually Samuel asks Jesse if he had any more sons. His reply was: the youngest is still outside. He obviously wasn’t considered to be important. It wasn’t thought important that the youngest took part in the worship service. Samuel said that he wouldn’t start the celebrations and wouldn’t start to worship God until the youngest had been brought in.

At the moment David entered God showed Samuel that this was His chosen one. He had chosen and destined the youngest one to be the new leader of His people. Samuel poured the horn of oil over David’s head while his brothers stood round watching. The Spirit of God took hold of David and gave him power for the rest of his life. A new day dawned for Israel. The youngest was full of the Spirit and anointed.

Moses and Samuel - two leaders who both refused to move on to a new phase unless the youngest were part of it.

Once again God spoke to me through these two Old Testament examples that we – as adults – must stand up as advocates and mediators and let the voice of the children be heard. Even though I long to see a new wave of God’s power and long to see revival flood the land – I will not move on unless the children are part of that end time move of God.

Joshua’s words must sound again: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This is the choice that every father and every mother has to make. The hearts of the fathers will turn again to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers and then….. God will step in and heal the land. Move on together – it’s a choice.

The enemy tries in many different ways to keep our children in slavery and to destroy families and family life. Sometimes it will be an obvious attack or deception but at other times he comes as an angel of light. Let us stand up as a Moses or as a Samuel and choose not to take another step unless the youngest is going along as well.

The Israelites had to take radical action in order to change their situation and their way of life. They had built up a tradition over 430 years and this is what they had to leave. Leave behind everything they were used to and – together with their children – move into the freedom in the desert where they could worship God in a new way.”

Does this mean we should, as well, make some radical changes and step out of our comfort zone and our (spiritual) traditions? I believe, only then will we be able to move on to the new dimension that God is calling many families into. Are you ready to make that first step?

Begin to teach your children HOW to experience God.

Feb. 16, 2008 - Erin Thiele and me...

Erin Thiele came to Florida the second week in December. We got to spend some time together ministering to members in the Orlando area. It seems that I can't get enough of Erin when I am around her.... I just love seeing the Lord move in her life, and regardless how "hectic" it seems to the world, she remains cool, calm and collective! She is one Christian woman that I look up to!! Through our Saturday talks, really challenges me spiritually to push me to next level with Christ.

She emailed me pictures from the December meeting.

Please check out her new website! It is called: Encouraging Women, and WOW does she ever! I just love the fact that she allows the Holy Spirit to guide her fingertips as she pours out her heart and soul into her writing.

She is a geniune woman of God!!

Click here for her website.

I am VERY thankful the Lord has brought her into my life. Without her and her desire and passion to minister to women, I would NOT be where I am at today. I have a LONG way to go, but at least I know I am traveling down the right road.

Jan. 19, 2008 - Furniture is gone!

Well, it happened! My living room is empty, and our voices echo off the walls!!

A family came this evening and took the last pieces of the entertainment center and then matching computer armoir. They were so excited, I should say WE were excited!

The Lord had this family "picked" out for this special blessing! This family had lost everything in a tornado not even a year ago. I am very grateful that I didn't go with my emotions and gave them to my friend but instead chose to wait on the Lord.

Passing judgement? That is something that I constantly ask God about. I want to stand before Him, blameless, spotless, and holy. Yes, it is very hard. But, praise God His mercies are new everyday!  I am sorry if any of my previous blog entries grew legs of its own and it came across like that because that was not the intent of the writer. I didn't share the whole story about my friend but she and I, both, for two years prayed about her weakness in that area. You know, dying to self kinda things... burning of the flesh. Which was totally opposite of what happened!